Library Expansion FAQs

Times are indeed tough, which is why it’s going to be so important for us to ensure that taxpayers are both getting a huge return on their investment and the library fulfills its own charter to properly serve its expanding community.

While there are still a lot of numbers to crunch, we estimate that the bond warrant you’ll be voting on in March will be about $7.2 million, including money for interiors. We estimate that might mean about 70-90 cents on $1,000 of assessed home value, based on a 10-15 year bond. The tax impact could decrease based on grants and donations from the community. Even a small, one-time donation could impact the tax rate for many years down the road!

Consider the return on your investment that the library can provide, not just in the short-term but for generations to come. A history room. Quiet and social spaces. Regular music, book, workshop and community events in a well-equipped, spacious space with room for every Auburn group to meet. A morning coffee corner where residents can meet and catch up on town news. We look forward to providing the space and opportunities to keep growing families invested and involved in Auburn for generations.

Our goal is to provide all that and more for a reasonable cost.

We love that the library has a small town feel as well, and that won’t change! First, the design of the expansion is in keeping with traditional New England architecture. We understand what makes our beautiful facility special and intend to maintain that look and feel. Second, the original 1893 building will not only be kept and highlighted, but the foundation will be replaced to make the old building more heat efficient. The expansion will enable us to preserve our treasured old building while carefully adding space that is in keeping with its aesthetic.

As for actual physical space, in this instance, alas, small is not good as the circulation and usage demands of Auburn steadily increase. Based on usage, the town needs a bigger, more resource rich library.

The honest answer here is that nothing will ever be less expensive. Waiting a year or two will simply increase expenses, both for the overall cost of the expansion project and  the maintenance of the current building.

The expansion will eliminate the need for large renovation jobs for the current building that are already overdue, such as replacing the rotting sill and doorway of the children’s room, fixing the deteriorating museum shed and replacing the foundation. A budget for these maintenance projects will need to be allocated if the overall expansion project does not happen.

A gradual expansion is just not cost-efficient. We would pay higher labor and interest costs and small additions would not support our patron growth. The community is coming to Griffin Free and the library needs to be able to accommodate usage as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Today’s modern library is about so much more than books or movies, fortunately! The modern library is an information center for the community and modern librarians do more than find books. Our staff members are information detectives and can help patrons find the resources they need to manage many aspects of daily life, from homework and research, to vacation planning, to job searches, car registrations, doctor appointments and more. Whatever you need, our promise is that you won’t leave the library without being helped.

The library is also a community center. We already offer programs for all ages, but the expansion will provide more space for major and minor events, ranging from lectures to musical shows to nature performances and everything in between. Most important, the expansion will provide Auburn with a space to gather and catch up with neighbors and all the town news.

The expansion will return the existing library to usage as a museum and we will be able to display many of the historical artifacts that are currently in storage.

Actually, while (mostly) everything IS online, library usage both nationally and most certainly in Auburn has dramatically increased.

At Griffin Free Public Library, it’s true that the circulation of our digital holdings is increasing.  Many patrons turned to our digital subscription services in the pandemic. They enjoyed the convenience and kept using digital resources after the pandemic was over. We are proud that Auburn has access to a wide range of digital resources through our library, from the state library’s Overdrive system to Kanopy for movies to Hoopla for  ebooks, audiobooks and more.

But — and this is important — our circulation of print materials is increasing faster than it ever has in the library’s history. Since the pandemic ended, print circulation and interlibrary loan usage has risen nearly 40 percent at the library and continues to increase!

Add to the equation the fact that the library offers more than just books and movies. We have a popular and expanding Library of Things that includes cake pans, tools, electronics and so much more. We have games and puzzles. We offer game nights and craft night and STEM programs. Combine all of those resources, and the Auburn library is being used in greater numbers than ever in the library’s 130-year history.

The library has worked closely with both AVS and Parks and Recreation and has an excellent relationship with them. Indeed, our collective purposes overlap in many ways. All three organizations are designed to enhance the quality of life and education of Auburn residents.

While we have no control over their needs and operation, we encourage our patrons to take part in and support our schools and town recreation, just as AVS and Parks and Recreation encourage residents to use the library. Together, we and can make a difference in the lives of Auburn citizens — in particular if we are all working and running at our full potential, which is the objective of our expansion.

While there might be some overlap in the types of events and workshops held at Severance versus what could be held at the library’s community center, there’s no doubt that at 6,000 residents and growing fast, Auburn will benefit from having both facilities operational and running at full speed. It’s not a question of whether or not Auburn needs more event space, it’s only a matter of how soon.

At some point, perhaps. It’s already unusual that a library catering to a town our size is closed on Mondays. In early 2026, we’re considering some limited Monday hours as a test to determine need and usage and then we will go from there.

Having public, free WIFI available to anyone who walks into our building is a critical function of the library and it will always remain available.

While our sole public computer already has a variety of virus protections and other safety features, we also have policies in place to structure patron usage. However, when we expand, we’ll also have dedicated computer terminals for children and young adults, and a tighter system of security will have to be considered, including password protections, limiting usage and other features that are standard in larger, higher usage libraries.

Currently, our library policy expects parents or guardians to supervise young children. Teens or tweens, however, often come over to the library after school before their parents pick them up and that’s fine. We don’t expect to change those policies as we expand.

Both! The library should be a place where socialization and meeting friends should happen, while at the same time quiet spaces can be available for study, reading or just relaxing. A balance of communal and private spaces is nearly impossible in the current library, but is built into the architecture of the expansion.

Absolutely! The expansion will have a study room, a reference/NH room and a reading nook for comfortable, quiet work spaces.

These are all great questions and to be honest, at this juncture, we currently don’t yet have a standardized policy governing usage. Yes, non-residents and organizations will certainly be allowed to use the room. The library is working on developing a fee structure policy for such usage. We’re also working on a usage policy. We will base our policies on standard best practices and carefully develop that as we go.